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Palestinians vent their rage at American veto
[Arab News] Around 3,000 Paleostinians on Sunday protested against the US veto that nixed a UN Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements. The crowd massed in Ramallah's Manara Square, a central roundabout in the West Bank city, waving banners and shouting slogans against the US administration."Obama, you despicable man, we want self-determination!" shouted protesters, many of them members of Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Alul told the crowd: "This decision is against the Paleostinian people and its freedom, and it supports Israeli injustice, oppression and occupation. We tell (President Barack) Obama that we are a people that doesn't bow to anyone." In Jenin, Paleostinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad accused the United States of blackmail amid Paleostinian allegations that Washington threatened to cut aid if the settlements resolution was not withdrawn. "We didn't and will not accept blackmail and neither will our people," Fayyad said. "We are not interested in aid from any party that threatens to cut it for political reasons. The US approach must change because these double standards cannot continue and this situation is unacceptable." Fatah called the protest after the United States used the first veto of Obama's administration to prevent a resolution that would have condemned continued Israeli settlement building. The resolution was supported by all 14 other members of the Security Council. Jordan expressed regrets over the US veto, saying it could have a negative impact on Washington's credibility. "The resolution proves that the international community sees that continued Israeli settlement building is illegal and threatens the grinding of the peace processor," Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said in a statement, urging the United States to "correct its position." Posted by: Fred 2011-02-21 |
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